DISPUTES Synonyms: 163 Similar and Opposite Words

disputes 1 of 2

noun

plural of dispute

as in controversies

variance of opinion on a matter a dispute over the proper pronunciation of "nuclear"

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as in disagreements

an often noisy or angry expression of differing opinions after much dispute, the school committee decided that all backpacks would have to be stored in lockers during class hours

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disputes

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of dispute

as in challenges

to demand proof of the truth or rightness of a whole slew of relatives eager to dispute his claim to being the sole heir

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as in bickers

to express different opinions about something often angrily hometown fans disputing with visiting fans over which had the better team

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as in debates

to talk about (an issue) usually from various points of view and for the purpose of arriving at a decision or opinion in an extended session the city council disputed the need for a new high school

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of disputes

Noun

Herzog won a power struggle in the front office, then quit anyway, amid disputes with ownership. — Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026 According to Castillo, one of the most significant failures has been the tendency to treat many squatter complaints as civil disputes rather than criminal investigations. — Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 5 July 2026 From residents racing to assemble exhibits on short notice to disputes over displays and sponsorships, the booths highlight the lengths volunteers have gone to ensure their states are represented at the celebration of America's 250th anniversary. — Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 4 July 2026 The Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS), a neutral, government entity, has been used by leagues and players’ associations in past labor disputes. — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 2 July 2026 Other tribes have versions of the game as well, used to settle disputes and more commonly played for fun now. — ABC News, 2 July 2026 Ideally, misunderstandings and disputes are resolved through conversation. — Deborah Mower, The Conversation, 2 July 2026 Showdowns over international inspectors caused years of disputes between the US and Saddam Hussein’s Iraq and more recently Iran. — David Goldman, CNN Money, 26 June 2026 Fraud, complicated estates and ownership disputes are real. — Mark Lewyn, New York Daily News, 25 June 2026

Verb

The company disputes this, and the judge overseeing the case found that the statute of limitations for those claims had passed. — Claire Rush, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2026 Tesla disputes account that self-driving system caused crash Tesla has disputed claims that the vehicle's self-driving system was responsible for the collision. — Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 3 July 2026 However, dash camera footage obtained by police allegedly disputes his account. — Adam Sabes, FOXNews.com, 30 June 2026 Some have questioned the accuracy of Climate TRACE's vehicle emissions data, which the organization disputes. — Anjali Chaudhry, Forbes.com, 25 June 2026 Tehran, which disputes the waterway being international waters, has previously raised the prospect of charging a kind of service fee, rather than toll, alongside Oman in the future. — Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 25 June 2026 The lawsuit disputes the officer’s version of events. — Judith Kohler, Denver Post, 24 June 2026 County disputes grand jury’s timeline In a 20-page response submitted to Yolo Superior Court, county officials argued the grand jury completed its work before prosecutors unsealed felony indictments against eight people connected to Devastating Pyrotechnics and BlackStar Fireworks. — Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 23 June 2026 If a defendant appears and disputes ownership, litigation can stretch for years. — Donovan McCarty, The Conversation, 22 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for disputes

Noun

Before the latest scandal dropped, a New York Times/Siena poll released June 29 showed the multiple controversies were beginning to erode Platner's base.

— Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 9 July 2026
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin took over the department in March with the aim of keeping it away from the controversies that had marked the tenure of his predecessor, Kristi Noem.

— ABC News, ABC News, 8 July 2026

Definition of controversies

Noun

Some states chose not to send representatives; several of them cited disagreements with the partisan mission.

— Antonia Hitchens, New Yorker, 3 July 2026
The city commission reached a major step forward on the project after months of delays and disagreements over the best way to replace the old City Hall, which was damaged beyond repair by the historic flooding of April 2023.

— Amanda Rosa, Miami Herald, 3 July 2026

Definition of disagreements

Verb

Ohio’s governor’s seat tilted toward the Democratic Party’s favor, as Republican gubernatorial nominee Vivek Ramaswamy challenges a rival with broad name recognition.

— Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 10 July 2026
That challenges the earlier idea that Homo floresiensis organized and equipped themselves well enough to bring down something as large as a Stegodon.

— ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 9 July 2026

Definition of challenges

Noun

Rounding out the top five names were seven write-in votes for the Sacramento Capitals or Capitols — which could be nicknamed the Caps to avoid quarrels over the spelling — and six votes for the Sacramento Stingers or Sting, referencing the collegiate Sacramento State Hornets.

— Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 4 June 2026
In a 2024 study, researchers found that chimpanzee mothers tended to step in to defend their children in quarrels—say, over food or space in a tree—in about half of cases the researchers observed in the wild.

— Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 10 May 2026

Definition of quarrels

Verb

Semiconductor stocks are experiencing a sharp downturn, wiping out over a trillion dollars in market value, as Wall Street questions the sustainability of record AI capital spending.

— Peter Cohan, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026
While the morning may feel personal — especially if someone questions your judgment, appearance or direction — avoid treating their feedback (or silence) as rejection.

— Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 1 July 2026

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“Disputes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disputes. Accessed 11 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of disputes

noun

verb

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